by conveying the fentiments of Tom Paine to his mind; at which time he became a fworn enemy to government, and of course affociated with those who could strengthen his hands in rebellion. Nevertheless he did not leave the chapel, nor drop prayer in his family. And, though I was often led to bear my testimony against that infernal spirit, yet he ftood his ground; he obeyed not the voice of his teacher, nor was he to be fed with that part of God's wholesome word which tells every foul to be fubject to the higher powers. But it was not long before God fed him with judgment; for when I preached the "Watch-word and Warning" he was there; and God fent it home to his heart, and down he went; and when he got home he told his wife that he was a damned man, and that he was in the ftate that I had defcribed; and from that time he left off praying. Soon after this he got up to Kenfington palace; and there he curfed and blafted the king, and told the people that he was king. Some of the military, hearing of this, took him into custody; but, perceiving him out of his mind, they difmiffed him. Thus he began with that doctrine that holds up the majefty of the people; and, when given up to the devil, he proclaimed himself a king. But, if we are obedient unto death, we fhall be more; for " he hath made us kings and priests unto God, and we shall reign for ever and ever." Adieu.

The Defert.

NOCTUA AURITA.

LETTER

( 175 )
(175

LETTER XXXIII.

To NOCTUA AURITA, in the Defert.

I HAVE received your epiftle, for

which I feel more thanks in my heart than I have words to exprefs. I believe I fhall ever remain the greatest debtor you have; and I am sure I fhall never be able to pay one mite towards it. But I know the Lord will return you fourfold; because he has faid, "Whatsoever ye have done unto one of these my little ones, ye have done it unto me." You have never yet denied me any one request I have made; the confideration of which emboldens me to come to you again with fome difficulty which I have upon my mind. I told you, in my last, that what you mentioned in your former letter of the latter rain which was to come down on the believer at death, had, in fome measure, released my mind from fome fears which I have been long haraffed with. I thank you for enlarging on the fubject. Indeed, the matter lay with much weight on my mind. You mention this paffage, viz. that "the righteous have bands in their death ;" and that these fhall be the last fetters that fhall be broken. I am in the dark

what

what these bands are; fnap at a dying hour. that is to be done on greatest work of all. my mind should be

but it seems they are to But yet you call the work the foul at that time the Is it not strange, then, that again brought into bondage under the fear of death? You told me, in a former letter, that we were travelling in the fame path; but, indeed, I think it is otherwife now. But you must judge when I give you an account of my present feelings. And one thing in your letter confirms me in it, viz. where you say that the daily cross, which is intended to counteract the devices of Satan, the workings of the old man, and the pleafing defires of the flesh, is not all you expect in the course of your pilgrimage; but that you expect fome familiar vifits, fresh love-tokens, confirming renewals, and promifed revivals, of the good work of God, even unto the end. This is the place I feem to turn out of your path; and, indeed, I have at prefent no fuch things in expectation. And it seems to me that I am confirmed in this by the word of God. The paffage I refer to is recorded in Ezekiel: "But, when the people of the land fhall come before the Lord in the folemn feafts, he that entereth in by the north gate to worship shall go out by the way of the south gate; and he that entereth in by the way of the fouth gate fhall go forth by the way of the north gate; he fhall not return by the way of the gate whereby he came in, but fhall go forth over

against

against it." Ezek. xlvi. 9. The latter part of this verfe feems to comprehend my past experience, my prefent feelings, and my future path, and has involved my mind in much darkness and gloominefs; and I am led to believe that I am more interested in the mystical sense of this paffage than any one upon earth. And it is this text that has cut off all my expectations of future enlargement while in this world; which is also confirmed to me by what Mr. Hart says in one of his hymns:

Their pardon fome receive at first,

And then, compell'd to fight,
They find their latter stages worst,
And travel much by night.

The above paffage in Ezekiel has been on my mind for this twelvemonth past, and I have thought that there has been a great depth in the words; but they never brought any difficulty on my mind till about a month ago, when it forcibly ftruck me that I was fo much concerned in them; and I have also many things to confirm me in it. You have told me, and fo have others, that the Lord has dealt with me in a fingular manner, both with respect to the degree and duration of those spiritual joys and confolations which I have been favoured with in times paft. And what inference can be drawn from it but that which is meant by coming in by the fouth gate, and that I

am no more to return by the way of the gate whereby I came in, but I am to go forth by the way of the north gate? And I believe the north and fouth gate mean the fame operations as the north and fouth wind. Will you grant me this request alfo, that is, to give me your thoughts on the paffage. I do affure you it is not a matter of curiofity. I do believe you will fympathize with me, and feel for me, and pray for me. This feems to be the fharpest trial I have lately had; though, bleffed be the Lord,, I feel no fhakings nor unfealings refpecting my ftate. But I have at prefent no light on my path; and, to my dark understanding, that text has made a difcord in the word of God, and seems to clash with such paffages as this, "The path of the juft is as the fhining light, which fhineth more and more unto the perfect day;" and this alfo, "They that wait on the Lord fhall renew their firength: they fhall mount up on wings as eagles; they fhall run and not be weary, walk and not faint." But, instead of this, my expectations are of more darkness, fharper trials, being perpetually under the hiding of God's face; and, indeed, I am already in the dark path. God fays, in his word, that he will abundantly bless the provifions of his houfe, and that he will fatisfy his poor with bread; that his priefts fhall be clothed with falvation, and his faints fhall fhout aloud for joy. But, instead of this, I have lately been very barren under the

word.